Hearts and Kisses
by Talking Hawk
Summary: The newly wedded Sam and Rosie reflect on their first kiss. Sequel to "Backstabbing - But Not Really."


Hearts and Kisses  
  
By Talking Hawk  
  
Author's Note: While I was lying in bed this morning, I was finally beaten over the head senseless by the Poetry Stick. That's right – I actually came up with the poem in this story. Don't expect me to get attacked by the Poetry Stick again anytime soon, but you never know… On with the story.  
  
Samwise and Rose Gamgee sat out on a bench on the porch of their comfy little hobbit hole. Just a few weeks ago, they had gotten married, and were still in the newly wed stage of their relationship. The man had his arm around his wife as they looked out at the sunset above the Shire.  
  
For the past couple of days, the two had been squeezing information out of the other about things that were too private to talk about before they wedded. Needless to say, some of the memories that were shared weren't fond ones, but the pair felt closer than ever. Leaning her head against her husband's chest, a light flickered in Rosie's eyes. She'd just come up with another discussion piece.  
  
"Sam," she said, lifting her head from his light blue vest. Her husband's arm slipped off her shoulder, and he replanted it on the back of the bench. He blinked at her with curiosity as she continued, "Let's talk about first kiss!"  
  
The male hobbit's eyes widened with horror, and his cheeks flushed red. "…Do we HAVE to?" he pleaded with embarrassment. Sam took his wife's hand and asked, "Can't we just accept the fact that we ended up together?" Rosie narrowed her eyes at him and said, "We ARE going to talk about it. Besides, if you can't even talk to ME about it, what are you going to say when our children ask?" A stern look appeared in the man's eyes, and he lifted a scornful finger to the imaginary child before him. "'I'll tell you when you're older.'" His bride burst into a fit of laughter, and Sam rested back in his seat, smirking to himself.  
  
She slapped her hand playfully at his shoulder. "You can't say that! C'mon," she said, poking his chest. "Let's talk about it." Sam frowned and inched away from his wife and said, "I think we should talk about talking about it first…" Rosie chuckled, and looked into his eyes. "Come, now, Sam…" The hobbit sighed, looking away. "Oh, all right, if you wish…" And the reminiscing began.  
  
* * *  
  
It had been sixteen years since Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday and disappearance, and about a year before the quest to destroy the One Ring began. It was summer in the Shire, and Mr. Frodo had a craving for some apple pie. So, Samwise volunteered to go and get some apples from a tree by the road to Hobbiton. It didn't belong to anyone, so the hobbit climbed up the tree and began filling his bag with no remorse.  
  
After several minutes, Sam had picked all of the lower apples, so he crawled out onto one of the tree's limbs and seized apples from there. Soon, a pretty little lady hobbit skipped down the road. He recognized her as Rosie, who he had had a fancy for even before Bilbo's last party. He labored over whether or not to call out to the girl as she obliviously passed beneath the apple tree.  
  
"R-Rosie!" he shouted after a moment. She stopped and spun around, and was finally able to see him. Rosie smiled her red lips, and skipped back up the road so that she was looking straight up at the hobbit. Sam smiled sheepishly, not sure what to say now that he had his crush's attention.  
  
"Hello, Sam!" she called up, showing her pearly white teeth in a smile. The hobbit trembled with happiness. She knew his name! What a great head start. He coughed into his fist as so to prevent his voice from sounding off, and said, "How are you, Rosie?"  
  
"Oh, just fine, just fine," she replied, lowering her pretty blue eyes slightly. "What are you doing?" "Oh," he said, looking about the tree's canopy, seeming to have forgotten after Rosie had shown up. "I'm getting apples for an apple pie," he finally said. A pause ensued, and he asked timidly, "You…you wouldn't be interesting in having any when I'm done…would you?"  
  
The girl gazed up at him and smiled once more. "That would be great. I love apple pie!" Sam's heart fluttered; SUCCESS!!! In his daze, he lifted his hands from the tree's branch, and his eyes widened in fright as he began falling through the air.  
  
WHACK. The hobbit landed face-first on the road, and Rosie screamed. She ran up to him, kneeling by his side. The girl slowly turned him over, crying out, "Sam, SAM! Are you all right?" He groaned, and sat up, his body swaying in dizziness. "Yes…yes…" he uttered. "I'm all right…"  
  
As she stared at him with concern, he lifted a hand to the left side of his face. "Ooohhh…" he moaned, closing his eyes. The left side of his face and his lips began to feel numb, and he told Rosie that he feared that they would become swollen with a bruise. She frowned, and asked, "Is there anything I could do?"  
  
Sam sighed and shook his head, his hand still pressed to his face. "No, my face just hurts so bad…" He frowned, and he felt his lips tingling with pain at the movement. Rosie's beautiful face faded into a frown, and she inched closer to the hobbit. Timidly, she proposed, "Do you think that if I…kiss it, it'll make you feel better? That's what my mum used to do…"  
  
The hobbit's hand fell from his face and turned to the girl in surprise. Her eyes were now lowered, feeling a bit silly for mentioning the idea. He blinked his hazel eyes, unsure of how to respond. "Well, I don't know if it'll help me," he said carefully, "but if you WANT to…"  
  
Rosie chuckled, and put a hand through her hair. She wasn't sure what to do either. Finally, she met his eyes, and said, "We should get you over to Frodo's house. It probably isn't helping you to just sit in the middle of the road waiting to be ran over by some wagon." Sam's face fell; he cursed himself for not saying, "YESS!!!"  
  
She rose to her feet, and slipped her slender arm through Sam's. He stood up, and together, they walked to Bag End. She offered to carry his apple bag, but he declined the offer; his mum had always taught him that real men don't let ladies carry heavy things.  
  
After several silent minutes had passed, they reached the hobbit hole. She knocked on the round door with her free hand, and they stood on the porch, waiting for the hobbit to reply. Sam lowered his eyes sadly; it was going to end just as soon as it began.  
  
Taking her arm from his, Rosie turned to him. Sam lifted his head, blinking at her. What was she doing? "You'll be okay here, right? I need to take care of something in town…" He frowned, his sadness showing through his lips and his hazel eyes.  
  
"I hope you feel better…" she said, a sadness enveloping her face as well. They stood quietly for a moment, but then Rosie leaned forward, put her hand on his right cheek, and kissed him. As she slipped back, she smiled at Sam's round, startled eyes. With that, she scurried down the stone stepping stones, and down the road.  
  
As the hobbit stared after the fleeing girl, the door opened behind him. Frodo lifted a brown eyebrow at his friend, and caught sight of the girl disappearing down the road. "Was THAT Rosie?" he asked, stepping onto the porch next to Sam, blinking curiously. He then turned to his gardener, and Sam sighed dreamily.  
  
"I'm in loooovee…" he said, and promptly fell over on his face again. The Baggins ran to his side, and helped the hobbit into the house.  
  
* * *  
  
Rosie's eyes twinkled as she howled with laughter. Sam narrowed his eyes at her, blushing furiously. "So that's why your face was swollen for a week?" she finally asked. "Because you fell over TWICE?"  
  
Her husband frowned, readjusting himself in his seat uncomfortably. "It could happen to anybody…" Rosie frowned slightly, though her eyes still laughed. "I didn't mean to tease you," she said, inching next to the hobbit, who looked away in shame. She whispered into his pointed ear, "I think it's sweet."  
  
Sam shrugged, and finally looked into his wife's eyes, smirking. "Okay, so I told my story. It's now time for you to answer a question." "Very well," she said, turning to him and sitting Indian-style on the bench. "Ask away."  
  
The hobbit's eyes glimmered with mischief. "How many guys did you kiss before me?" Rosie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you SURE you want to know?" she asked, blinking her eyes worriedly. Sam nodded confidently. Hesitantly, his wife lifted a finger, and he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You only kissed ONE before me? I would have thought it would be more…" Rosie lowered her eyes and shrugged. "Is it anyone I know?" he asked. "Yes…" she hesitantly replied. This was getting interesting. "Who?" Sam pressed.  
  
"…Frodo." "WHAAAAAT?!" he roared, falling off the bench. As Rosie looked over to see if he was okay, he leaped to his feet. "HE SAID THAT YOU TWO NEVER KI-" Rosie slipped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders trembling. But they weren't trembling with tears; they were trembling with…giggles?!  
  
"What's so funny?" he demanded, and his wife's hand slipped from her mouth, laughing uncontrollably. After several moments of him glaring at her, Rosie said, "He's right, because we never did!" Sam sighed as she continued laughing, and he reassumed his seat on the bench.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she finally chuckled, putting her head on his shoulder. "I just had to poke fun." Sam sighed, and said, "So, did you kiss someone before me?" "Yes… A few, actually…" Rosie looked about, a bit embarrassed.  
  
"Oh…" Sam replied. "A few, eh?…" "Well," she said, narrowing her eyes, "it wasn't like they meant anything to me. It's not like they're the ones 'who got away.'" Sam turned to Rosie, looking deep into her eyes. "So…" he started, "…was I your best kisser?"  
  
'Oy,' she thought to herself, shaking her head in dismay. "Does it really matter?" she asked aloud, and her husband nodded sternly. After a pause, she said, "Well, not really…" Sam lowered his eyes painfully; he had feared that answer. Rosie frowned, then said,  
  
"Before, I judged a kiss  
  
Based on its skill and wit  
  
But there was something still amiss  
  
Because there was no love in it."  
  
The hobbit looked up, and she smiled slightly at him. She continued,  
  
"Your kisses, at first, didn't do so well  
  
And weren't even that well-aimed."  
  
Sam turned away again, chuckling to himself, embarrassed. Rosie slipped her arm through his, inching next to her husband.  
  
"But through those kisses, I will tell,  
  
My heart you did claim."  
  
He slipped his arm from her grasp, and turned to her. He put his hand on her cheek, and swept it across, eventually his fingers running through her golden hair. A smile appeared on Sam's lips, and said, "That day, though you didn't cure my bruises, you cured the ache here." He took his wife's hand with his free one, and pressed it to his heart. She looked at him with her blue eyes, and after a moment, Sam said, "I love you, Rose Gamgee." Sitting on the bench before the setting sun, the two kissed.  
  
Author's Second Note: I'm getting soft…and mushy… (I think I'm melting…) Must…go…write…something…stupid… (trudges off, then suddenly returns, a smile on her face) Please review! 


End file.
